Female Founders invited me to speak earlier this month at the Lead Today, Shape Tomorrow conference in Vienna.  I spoke on the panel, 'What lessons can we learn from the next generation of founders?' It was a pleasure to share my experiences and insights on how to build a digital platform as a young Black woman, especially in an ever-changing and highly saturated media landscape.  From navigating imposter syndrome to learning how to engage with younger users, we spoke about the challenges and opportunities that come with being a young founder.  It was great to share the stage with Woundioun Sissoko  (24),  Nils Feigenwinter (23) and Madeline Lawrence (26) who are making strides in their respective industries.

I could go on and on about the details, but, I'm currently prepping for another panel in Houston, scheduled to happen in a few hours (More on that soon). Peak, an early-stage venture capital fund,  provided an excellent summary of our insightful conversation on their Linkedin page below:

"Why does no one want to work anymore?" "What is it like firing someone 2x your age?" "What's stronger, the pressure to prove yourself right or to prove others wrong?"

Nils (23), Woundioun (24), Adaora (27), and Madeline (26) explored the new generation of founders last week at Female Founders LTST, concluding:

1) Being underestimated on account of your age can be an advantage ;) Nils has been mistaken for an intern, the perfect excuse to exit conversations and avoid salespeople looking for 'decision makers.'

2) To effectively reach next gen consumers, be 1) intentional 2) nuanced 3) informed. If you want to connect with a target group, hire someone from that group and give them creative freedom.

3) It's not that the new generation doesn't want to work, but they do have a different attitude and expectations towards work. The new generation of employees values 1) autonomy 2) boundaries 3) flexibility, even above purpose.

4) There are already new kids on the block. Gen alpha is here, and none of us understand them either.